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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT ON CYNTHIA D'ALBA

I am so pleased to have author Cynthia D'Alba here on the blog today. I am so excited about her books and I hope you all will be too.... Now let's get a little personal with the fabulous lady, shall we?

1.Can you please tell us a bit about
yourself?

I was born and raised in Arkansas. Went
to college at the University of Arkansas (Go Razorbacks!). Moved to Memphis
after I finished nursing school. (I earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at
the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences College of Nursing.) I lived in
Memphis for 17 years working in a variety of medical positions (teaching and
administrative.) While in Memphis, I earned a Master of Science in Curriculum
& Instruction and a Master of Business Administration. I moved back to
Little Rock, AR in 1997 as Assistant Dean in the College of Business. I earned
my Doctorate in Higher Education Administration in 2001. I left UALR in 2002
and my husband (Fisherman) and I moved to back to my hometown (Hot Springs, AR)
in 2004. We live on a large lake. He fishes (on average) five days a week! We
love being here.

We have no “human” children. Instead we
have two dogs (who don’t know they are dogs) and a parrot (who thinks he’s in
charge.)

I constantly on a diet, which never
works. That could be because I love hot chocolate chip cookies!

I hate to shop for clothes. I don’t
have a shoe fascination like some writers I know. I’m all about comfort when it
comes to clothes and shoes.

2.When and how did you know you wanted to be
a writer?

I always laugh when I get asked this
question. Being a writer wasn’t my idea!

I started as a reader...a voracious
reader! I started reading steadily when I was about 3 years old. I’ve hardly
been without a book in my hand since! When I was in grade school, I used to
write fake notes “from my mother” to tell the teachers I needed to stay in from
recess because “I was sick.” I wasn’t sick! I wanted to read instead of play.

After I left full time work, I was
reading a book a day. After about a year (and I swear, 1000 books!) my husband
said to me, “I bet you could write one of those books.” Until that moment, I’d
never ever thought about writing. Hard to believe (given how much I loved
reading) but true.

In 2005, I attended my first writer’s
conference. In 2006, Fisherman and I traveled all over the US so I could attend
writers’ conferences and learn. I started entering contests in 2007, with quite
a few finals and wins. (Side note: I won the first contest I ever entered. Then
I was stunned when I didn’t win all the rest! LOL) I stopped entering contests
in 2008 and concentrated on improving my writing. In 2010, I sent Texas Two
Step to a couple of contests. I also sent out a paranormal novella, which was
rejected all around. But one editor wrote me back that the story didn’t work
for her but she loved my voice. Did I have anything else I could send? At the
same time, Texas Two Step won two contests and got requests for full manuscript
submissions, which I sent out in February 2011. The editor who’d rejected me,
but loved my voice (Heidi Moore with Samhain Publishing), offered me a contract
for Texas Two Step. I signed with Samhain Publishing, got Heidi as my editor
and have loved being with them.

3.Tell us about your upcoming work?

Texas Tango is the second book in the
Texas Montgomery Mavericks Series. It’s the story of Travis Montgomery (oldest
brother of Olivia Montgomery from Texas Two Step) and Dr. Caroline Graham (a
contract physician only in town for six more months. Here’s the official
“blurb”...

Their wedding
might be fake, but there’s no faking the mutual attraction.

Texas Montgomery
Mavericks, Book 2

Dr. Caroline
Graham is happy with her nomadic lifestyle fulfilling short-term medical
contracts. No emotional commitments, no disappointments. She’s always the one
to walk away, never the one left behind.

But now her
great-uncle is gone and her grandmother is on her deathbed, more concerned
about Caroline’s lack of a husband than her own demise. What’s the harm in a
little white lie? If a wedding will give her grandmother peace, then a wedding
she shall have.

Travis Montgomery
has one dream left—to build the ranch he and his wife planned before he lost
her to cancer. There’s just one thing standing between him and the last bit of
acreage he needs—a last living heir who has one traveling foot out the door…and
an unusual request that challenges his determination to never again place his
heart at risk.

The land he wants
in exchange for a faux marriage. Everyone wins. Until things start to
snowball…and the hearts they stand to lose are their own.

Warning: This book
contains a tortured widower who doesn’t want a wife and an independent doctor
who doesn’t want a husband. Hot stuff between the sheets and failed efforts to
avoid emotional involvements.

4.Can you tell us your favorite character
from your books so far and why?

I think Adam Gentry, from Texas Two
Step. Adam is the five-year-old son of Olivia Montgomery Gentry and Travis
Montgomery. He was simply fun to write. The feedback I’ve gotten from readers
is that they have fallen in love with Adam too!

5.Was it difficult for you to get published?

My publishing story is given above. It
wasn’t as hard for me as it has been for some writers. There could multiple
explanations for that. While I wasn’t published in fiction prior to Texas Two
Step, I have a number of medical/nursing articles in professional magazines. In
addition, I have a published doctoral dissertation. So writing per say isn’t a
new activity. However, writing fiction is totally different from writing
non-fiction. So I think my previous writing experience was great for training
me on how to construct sentences and how to follow through.

Another advantage I had was the
changing landscape of the publishing world. I went digital first, followed by
print. That option wasn’t open to authors that long ago. It was sell your book
to a traditional publisher (Avon, Harlequin, St. Martin’s Press, etc) or you’re
cut out of the market. Digital options have opened up publishing avenues for
authors that simply didn’t exist.

6.Who are your favorite authors/reads?

I hate to name names because I KNOW
I’ll forget someone! But autobuys for me include Susan Elizabeth Phillips,
Kristan Higgins, Robert Crais, Harlen Cobin, JD Robb (and some Nora Roberts
books). I’m discovering new authors all the time, such as Adrienne Giordano,
Cat Johnson (not new, but new to me), Pamela Heron, Ruthie Knox, Kelsey
Browning. Then there are my author friends that I always buy...Vicki Lewis
Thompson, Karin Tabke, Sylvia Day, Delilah Devlin, Elle James. This list could
go on for pages! :)

7.Hobbies?

Number one, without doubt, is reading. I
love needlepoint, but I don’t get to do that as much as I used to. I’m taking a
class in machine embroidery, so that could be my next thing. I love baking.
Cookies, brownies, pies...you name.

8.What is your dream job?

I think I’ve got it. I enjoy the
freedom that writing gives me. I enjoy the online friendships, the
socialization with other authors, the thrill of seeing my name in print. At
this time in my life, I have it all.

A new novella (Texas Fandango) that
releases from Samhain Publishing on February 5, 2014. This novella is also in
the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series. For those who read Texas Two Step, this
novella is Drake Gentry’s story.

I’m working on Texas Twist, the third
book in the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series.

I’ll be headed to RT2014 in New Orleans
in May 2014 and would LOVE to meet you.

Can't wait to read Texas Tango! I loved Texas Two-Step, and am looking forward to more of your sexy cowboys!However, I've never seen you shy in any situation. I was amazed by your poise in front of people when you were the PRO Liaison for RWA.(((hugs)))

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